By Achadu Gabriel
A Borno-born Nigerian activist, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa has chronicled the rise of Boko Haram, unveiling its origins, motives, and the devastating impact on Nigeria through a petition and advocacy.
According to him, the Boko Haram terror group was formed in northeastern Nigeria and trained in Afghanistan with the sole aim of Islamizing Nigeria through violence and the total annihilation of Christians and Muslims who oppose them. Additionally, that the insurgency began years ago and has successfully garnered support from many Muslims in Northern Nigeria, either openly or secretly.
These revelations were contained in a petition submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria on March 31, 2025, supporting reports from the U.S. Congress on the killings of Christians.
In the petition made available to our correspondent, the activist and Director General of the Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnic Issues in Nigeria, referenced a letter he earlier submitted to the Nigerian Senate, where he disclosed that the terror group commenced its mission after camping in Yobe State.
The letter, dated November 21, 2011, and addressed to the Senate President, Senator David Mark, was titled: “Why Boko Haram Should Be Listed as a Terrorist Group by the United States.”
Rev. Dikwa, a Muslim-to-Christian convert, stated, “The Boko Haram group, as they are called in Nigeria, is not just a subsidiary, branch, or affiliation of a terrorist group but a formidable Islamic terrorist institution tasked with the responsibility of Islamizing Nigeria through violence and the total annihilation of Christians and any Muslims who oppose them.”
According to him, the advent of Boko Haram began in 2002 and 2003, when a group of Muslims was taken to Afghanistan and trained under a fundamental Islamic group (name withheld).
Rev. Dikwa’s petition stated that this group is known for instigating outdoor preaching with an emphasis on jihad and the supremacy of Muslim believers over all other creations.
The letter added, “The Muslims group trained later became the leaders of the present Boko Haram group, among them are Muhammed Yusuf, Abubakar Shekkau and Mammam Nur, one of the Sons of Borno State former SSG, in the person of Alhaji Abba Gana trap, who was in the third year in the university, amongst many others.”
The group, when formed, was reportedly given a place in Kanama village, Yunusari LGA of Yobe state to camp and prepare for all their terrorist attacks being witnessing in Nigeria, the statement added.
“The then Governor of Yobe state was informed by the SSG to take action against their camping in the area but said ‘We know their stay there and they’re out children,” he stated.
According to the letter, the Governor’s respond indicated that the Government of Yobe State is responsible for their stay and had been catering for them.
It added that “After a week of camping they attacked the Police headquarters killing about five Police men. These attacks made the then Federal Government take a military action against them, where they were dispatched from the Camp.
“They then split into two major groups with one faction lead by Mohammed Yusuf who was given a plot of land by his in law (Baba Fugul, in Maiduguri town where they formed their prominent camp and National headquarters.
“The other faction moved to Gwoza hills and encamp on the hills terrorizing village Banks and Christian institutions. The two factions were not the only camps formed in the Northern part of Nigeria. Some of the trained leaders, formed camps in Toro LGA of Bauchi State and some of them moved to the Hills of Riyom and Barkin Ladi in Plateau State.
“Others did not form camps but stayed in all the State capitals in the North and some major Local Governments Headquarters where 95% of the Population were Muslims. They also formed small groups in all the Southern parts of Nigeria with the aim of taking over the Government of Nigeria at a blow,” it revealed.
To boost their activities and give them a smooth running. The Government of Bomo State, created a ministry solely for them known as the Ministry for Religious Affairs in 2004 under Governor All Modu Sheriff.
“This Ministry does not have any structure that accommodates the Christian Religion which is also dominating religion in all the 19 Northern States. It also does not function normally as all other Ministries where Civil servants could be rotated from one Ministry to the other and normal Civil service promotion based on academic qualification and years of experience were practiced.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs had all of its workers on appointments which are all Muslims and does not have any particular goal, or objective for societal development, rather it focused on Islamic propagation.
These ministries were later replicated in some other state governments such as Yobe, Bauchi states amongst others.
In February 2006, the Group attacked the Christians in Maiduguri where they bunt down about 56 Churches and over 70 Christians were killed. The state Governor was seen moving on the street and applauding their actions by outpouring Naira notes to them.
“The success in 2006 made then to stage a major attack on the 27 of 2009, the fist general attacks which was supposed to take effect in all the Federation started in the night where over 45 Churches were burnt and over 200 Christian Houses were visited, killing and maiming them in cold blood which claimed over 170 Christians in one night in Borno state capital.
“They continue to kill for about two days. When it was day break, they attacked some Police establishments, prisons and some Government establishments, all In Maiduguri.
“Yobe State Capital, Damaturu also experiences the attacks where police stations and Churches were attacked.
“Sporadic attacks took place in Bauchi State after wards. Other cities could not get the convenience to attack at the same time (coordinated attacks).
“The government attacked their Maiduguri camp after the 27th July attacks and over 800 of them were arrested. Most of them were deliberately kept in Bauchi prison and the government of Bauchi state staged a prison break prior to an Islamic Sallah celebration and over 700 of the Boko Haram inmates broke out.
“The prison breaks reenforce and revitalized the group’s man power and government compensated the so-called family of their former leader Mohammed Yusuf with over N100 million which also revive their financial base leading to the acquisition of sophisticated weapons and the advent of IED bombs.
“On the 7th of March 2010, Toro, in Bauchi state, trained terrorists attacked a village in plateau state, known as Dogo Nahawa, where they killed over 500 Christians mostly women and children.
“The camp on the hills of Barkin Ladies/Riyom LGA, had been attacked several villages of the area who were predominantly Christians in a night attack which usually take in the night”, he narrated extensively.
Rev. Dikwa lamented that all they could receive from Senate President office under David Mark was a written reply dated February 29th 2012 signed by his Chief of Staff, Sen. Anthony Manzo, that the letter has been referred to the Chairman Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence for further necessary action, and it all ended with that reply till date.
